Prepare a persuasive economics term paper on current issue or problem in
economics relevant to economic topics we covered in this class. Specifically, in the persuasive economics term
paper, you want to demonstrate that you can state facts as evidence, use examples, and quote experts to
demonstrate how economics principles, concepts and theories you have learned in this class to explain the
economic issue or problem of your choice. So, your paper should create interest in your professor to read your
term paper further.
The paper should be typewritten, paginated, double-spaced in Time New Roman font size 12; 1-inch margins
(top, bottom, left, and right). 3 pages (excluding title or cover, table of contents, appendix, and reference
pages).
Title Page or Cover Page (5 pts):
All papers should have a title page that contains the following:
Any graphs should be on separate pages, and the page will not be counted as part of the written page
requirements. In order to be relevant to the paper, all graphs must be discussed and explained within the body
of the text .
- Table of Contents (5 pts): List all headings/sections and sub-headings/sub-sections with page #s.
Abstract (5 pts): Consists of a brief summary of the subject matter of your entire paper.
Introduction (10 pts): The introduction is the most important part of any paper. No one will continue to read any
further if the introduction is confusing or poorly written. The introduction should begin with a thesis statement;
which is a one-sentence description of your topic AND the argument that you plan to make. For example, if I
were arguing about the need to increase the federal minimum wage in the U.S., use of the death penalty in the
U.S., my thesis statement would probably look like one of the four examples below:
Thesis Statement 1:. The raising of minimum wage would greatly benefit the nation as it needs desperately
financial stability for all the citizens.; therefore, the federal minimum wage should be raised in the United
States.
Thesis Statement 2: Raising the minimum wage would increase the overall health of all people, decrease birth
mortality rates, and get rid of the need of government assistance for many of the families using the assistance,
therefore, the federal minimum wage in the United States should be raised..
Thesis statement 3: The death penalty gives rights to humans that should only be given to God; therefore, the
death penalty should be abolished in the United States.
Thesis statement 4: The death penalty forces murderers to give their own lives as a just punishment for taking
someone else’s life; therefore, we should continue to use this form of punishment in the United States.
Notice that all four thesis statements not only tell us WHAT the essay will be about, but also WHERE THE
WRITER STANDS on that issue (his or her opinion) and briefly explain WHY. Make sure that your thesis
statement includes these three elements too!
Sources: Annotation Reference 1: Jacobs, A. W., & Padavic, I. (2015). Hours, Scheduling and Flexibility for
Women in the US Low-Wage Labour Force. Gender, Work & Organization,22(1), 67.
doi:10.1111/gwao.12069http://essayinfo.com/essays/persuasive_essay.php and source: Roane State
Community College.
Please note: you cannot argue a statement of fact; you must base your economic paper on a strong position.
So, you must gather evidence and present a well-reasoned argument on a debatable economic issue in an
intelligible way.
You are required to include the points:
A thesis statements
A brief explanation of the problem in your paper
Purpose of your term paper
What question(s) will be answered in the term paper, and why are they important
A brief outline of current research on the topic you are writing about
Relevance of your term paper topic to existing work in economics on the topic you are writing about
Main Body (10 pts):
The main body of your economics term paper is the longest part. It has sections and sub-sections. In every
section, you need to state a main point, argument or appropriate information to write a persuasive economic
paper. For this reason, you’ll need to use evidence and good reasons to convince your professor to agree with
your point of view on the economic topic you are writing about.
Your paper should not just provide information, but more importantly, you want to use the information you have
gathered to make an argument or prove a point in your paper.
***Evidence taken from: http://www.nytimes.com/info/biofuels/ (Links to an external site.); source: Roane State
Community College.
Use in-text citation properly if you have quoted some text from book, journal or any other source. For instance:
“Odutola (2015) finds that….”. or “In this paper, I attempt to…”
Conclusion (5 pts):
In the conclusion of your economics term paper, state the problem you posed and explain the results you found
from your research. You need to give a summary of the observations and interpretations. You should also
explain the strengths and limitations of your research. Besides this, you can make suggestion for future work
as well if you have any.
References / Bibliography (5 pts):
In the bibliography of your economics term paper, you must list all the information sources with standard
formats and appropriate citations in the text (see example below):
For example:
Odutola, A. “Should College Athletes Be paid?” The Journal of Business Economics, 25, July (2015) 27-48.
Benson, R. and Maddox, W.F. Axiomatic of Food Poison. Florida Economic Journal, 54: 563-587.
Appendices:
Appendices are the list of complete information of the survey forms, maps, graphs, figures, statistics,
questioners, charts, etc. you used in your economics term paper. They are not included in actual word count of
your economics term paper.
Mechanics (5 pts): Grammar, spelling, technical writing, neatnes]